[Tiara]

What the hell is up with this election ****? Its complete and utter bull****. I don't see why people even watch/come/support these 'shows'.

Seriously, this was on the news here last night about the G.W.B republican show;

- Rock bands
- Pop bands
- Home-made billboards aren't allowed because they could have 'a wrong message'. Instead you get a pre-made board made by children to make it look 'real'.
- Balloons at the end. The intentionally put a few thousand more ballons in tthere to outperform the Democrat balloon show.
- Speeches are read from a television screen which are all full of blatant lies and empty promises.

And add about another gazillion things that make it look like the ****ing MTV Video Music Awards show.

I really can't see why people even call this 'politics' anymore. I am so glad only America holds this type of 'show-politics'. I'd be embarrased to be American if I saw that happening in my country.

Discuss.

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by Tiara
What the hell is up with this election ****? Its complete and utter bull****.

You've never noticed before?

[Tiara]

Yeah, but it just seems to get worse and worse. More hypocritical with each election.

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by Tiara
Yeah, but it just seems to get worse and worse. More hypocritical with each election.

Yup

[Kazan]

the repugnanticons are a bunch of bigoted moronic assholes - i'd advocate ignoring them if they weren't busy ****ing up our country.

as for the dems: nobody in the democratic part, other than the people who go to the convention, care about the convention as far as i can tell.

[Rictor]

yeah, the people who go to the convention, the people who protested at the convention, and the people who watched the convention, which is, at last count...everyone.

The Democratic convention was no better. Not only was there a greater amount of celebrity endorsement, which I find stupid, but you had Kerry parade around a small army of generals, in what has quickly become a dick-measuring contest.

Propaganda is to a democracy what force is a dictatorship, and the big players in American politics have mastered that art.

[Kazan]

A) i didn't attend any conventions
B) i didn't protest any conventions
C) i didn't watch any conventions

therefore your last count is wrong

by your analogy to you simply mean a manner to manipulate? because that's what propaganda is, how you manipulate people: unlike force though, only the unwise are fooled by it

[Turnsky]

i've given up caring, to be quite honest, with politics in general, all politicians are idiots, it's all a matter of electing "the lesser of two morons"..

that's all i'll say about it..

[Kazan]

not in this case -- it's choosing between

* one who uses the constitution as toilet paper, ****ed up a state's education, health care, enviornment, etc

* one who served in a war, was re-elected to his senate seat numerous times, will listen to arguments before making a decision, will respect the constitution

[Turnsky]

Originally posted by Kazan
not in this case -- it's choosing between

* one who uses the constitution as toilet paper, ****ed up a state's education, health care, enviornment, etc

* one who served in a war, was re-elected to his senate seat numerous times, will listen to arguments before making a decision, will respect the constitution

well, not like the australian greens, they tried to legalise many illicit drugs, and ban cars..

yet their leader has a woodheater:p

but, i get your point, i'm just sick of the over-televisation and mud-slinging, the fact that i'm american or not is moot, i'm just sick of hearing about it on television to be quite honest..

[SadisticSid]

If the Dems were serious they'd have chosen Edwards who's an order of magnitude more competent than the dork they've got at the moment.

US show-politics does seem ludicrous compared to what we've got in the UK. Private funding for election campaigns has its obvious flaws and every bit of exposure in the media by the candidates and parties seems comically cheesy. Differences in culture, okay, but it's still the most wacky intepretation of political process anywhere in the world.

[aldo_14]

Fortunately, the UK hasn't got quite to the state of US electioneering...possibly it's even going the other way because 'minority' parties are gaining power as an alternative (i.e. the Senior Citizens Alliance got a seat at the Scottish Parliament during the next elections), pariticulary in Scotland because of the introduction of a more proportional system.

Of course, the US is so big that I'd imagine the vast sums of money required for a national campaign leave the candiaites particularly (& willingly) open to mainipulation by their main financial backers.

Most people here (the UK), if *****ing about politics, would almost certainly say 'at least we're not as bad as the US'.

Read into that what you will.......

[Rictor]

I particularly liked the signs that read "W stands for Women".

edit: at the Republican convention that it.

[magatsu1]

I read in "Dude, Where's my Country?" the Demos. had wrtiiten off 2004 before it had even begun. They're waiting for 2008 when Hiliary Clinton may run.

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by magatsu1
I read in "Dude, Where's my Country?" the Demos. had wrtiiten off 2004 before it had even begun. They're waiting for 2008 when Hiliary Clinton may run.

IIRC they had.  But then they saw how well Bush was doing at winning them back votes, and decided an anti-Bush would have a chance.

[Singh]

errr...being in a republic where most of the politicians are over 40 and corruption is pretty low, I can safely say that my nation's politics 0wnz you.

Although it does suck a bit too.

[Janos]

US politics is too polarized. You can't have real issue-based election when you only have two major parties which are roughly equally powerful.

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by Singh
errr...being in a republic where most of the politicians are over 40 and corruption is pretty low, I can safely say that my nation's politics 0wnz you.

Although it does suck a bit too.

Shh.... or they'll liberate you next!

[redmenace]

I actually agree with tiara on some limited basis. The use of Jacque Valasquez to apeal to hispanic voter was discusting and ridiculous. I personally hate the direction that the conventions have taken. It is all about changing the appearences on the RNC. HOWEVER, the Democrats are not any better. In 2000 they had al gore kiss his wife on stage and it was one of the most disgusting things ever. IT WAS NOT PROPER. Not the fact they were kissing on stage but the fact it was being used that way. Personally, the conventions need to be about the issues and not about painting an illusion. Could you imagine the continental congress or the signing of the declaration of independence involving this kind of circus. obviously not. However, at the declaration of independenc jack daniels was in great supply. aside from that, the founding fathers would be sorely disapointed with the way the political climate in the US has turned out.

[Tiara]

Originally posted by redmenace
I actually agree with tiara on some limited basis.

HOWEVER, the Democrats are not any better.

I never said that. i just used the Reps as an example